Miliband 'insults' regional Press: Labour leader attacked by editors who say they will not sign up to new body overseeing Press self-regulation

One editor told the Labour leader that the regional Press was fed up with being 'insulted' by politicians over the issue of Press freedom

Ed Miliband has been attacked by editors over his ‘insulting’ attitude to the regional Press.

The editors of regional and local newspapers told the Labour leader they would not sign up to a new body overseeing Press self-regulation.

One editor told the Labour leader that the regional Press was fed up with being ‘insulted’ by politicians over the issue of Press freedom.

The refusal to sign up came as a senior Tory urged ministers to amend its proposals to address Press concerns that it would undermine 300 years of freedom of speech.

Yesterday, Mr Miliband was given a blunt message about the opposition of regional titles at a lunch in Westminster, with Newspaper Society President Adrian Jeakings saying they ‘will not be signing up’.

Mr Jeakings said: ‘We firmly believe that, by establishing a tough new self-regulatory scheme under the Independent Press Standards Organisation together with other news and magazine publishers from across the Press, we can guarantee the public the protection it deserves whilst ensuring that the Press remains truly free, and unfettered by political interference.

‘The regional and local Press – in common with newspapers and magazines across the UK – will not be signing up to the cross-party Royal Charter. It was devised by politicians and a special interest lobby group and imposed on an unwilling industry. And in case anyone is in any doubt, we will be appealing yesterday’s decision not to grant a judicial review.’

Ian Murray, editor of the Southern Daily Echo, confronted Mr Miliband at the lunch, saying he was not happy that regional papers were being fobbed off with a plan to charge readers if they want to complain to a new arbitration panel. ‘The regional Press has been frankly insulted by this constantly being referred to with a throwaway line – oh it’s the regional Press, we can buy you off by putting in a charge,’ he said.

‘I would contend that a free Press is as important in Southampton and Glasgow as it is to those who walk round in Westminster.’

Mr Miliband said: ‘If I believed this was going to inhibit the ability of the Press to hold me to account, I wouldn’t be supporting it.’

Earlier yesterday, Culture Secretary Maria Miller told MPs it could take up to a year to set up the new recognition body and said ‘very good progress’ was made yesterday with the formal adoption of the charter.

But Conservative chairman of the Commons culture, media and sport select committee, John Whittingdale, said the Government should consider ‘alternative’ proposals from the Press.